1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices, systems, and processes useful as vehicle child seat restraints, and more specifically to such restraints that are positioned in the bightline of a seat.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
ISO-FIX is a child seat restraining system standard that arose out of the need to secure child seats in vehicles, particularly in automobiles, in a secure, convenient, and uniform manner. ISO-FIX is defined in ISO 13216-1, “Road vehicles—Anchorages in vehicles and attachments to anchorages for child restraint systems—Part 1: Seat bight anchorages and attachments”, (International Organization for Standards, Geneva, Switzerland, 15 Jul. 2004), the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
According to the ISO-FIX standard, a 6 mm loop or wire, called a “striker”, is firmly and rigidly attached, e.g., by welding, to the vehicle seat frame or the vehicle body itself. The striker is positioned in vehicle seating locations so that a person installing a child seat can attach a hook or other similar structure on the child seat to the striker, thus anchoring the child seat to the vehicle. One typical location for these IOS-FIX strikers is in the bightline of a vehicle seat, that is, in the space between a seat back and the seat bottom cushion. While this system can be secure, it presents difficulties in vehicle design.
More particularly, because of the shape and rigidity of the fixed striker wires, and the bightline location required by the ISO-FIX standard, many design and packaging compromises must be made to avoid damaging the seat's cushion material, e.g., foam, and the seat's trim. For example, a mid-row seat that folds flat can not include large, comfortable bolsters or thick foam, because the striker(s) at that seat location push into the seat back when the seat is folded, thus damaging the seat.
There remains a need, therefore, for a child seat anchor striker that can be incorporated into vehicle seating which does not limit the design of the seat and which does not damage folding seats.